Link's heart pounded within his chest. The monster known as the Imprisoned had once again broke free of its seal. Link let himself free fall, only bringing out the sailcloth at the last second. He knew he was already too late. The monster was closing in on the temple and Link was powerless to stop it. Resealing the monster now would be impossible.
The temple's structure proved weak as the Imprisoned drew nearer. There was a loud crash as the temple's roof caved in. Link could do nothing but watch when he saw the amber crystal rising up out of the chaos. The remainder of the temple crumbled around itself. High up in the air, the crystal that held Zelda shattered into dozens of tiny fragments. Zelda remained high above, suspended in mid air as the Imprisoned opened its gaping jaws below.
I'm supposed to be the hero. I promised Zelda I would wake her up. This can't happen...
Link felt a hand seize his shoulder, which brought him out of his shock. Ghirahim had followed him back to the Sealed Grounds. Link wondered how he always managed to stay just a step ahead or behind him.
"Don't just stand there, Link! Once he absorbs her soul, Demise will be resurrected and Zelda will be..." Link twisted away from Ghirahim.
"Don't touch me! This is your fault after all. Your tornado..."
Zelda writhed as if having a nightmare. Ghirahim gritted his teeth. She gasped, unable to summon enough breath to scream. It was like all the air was being sucked from her lungs. A yellow light was ripped from her body and was inhaled by the monster in haste. Her struggle ceased and she went limp. A whirlwind began to form around the Imprisoned. It swirled and swirled, growing in size and enveloped the ruins of the temple that surrounded them. Link closed his eyes and waited for it to subside. He opened his eyes slowly. In place of the Imprisoned stood a beast of a man that easily towered over both Link and Ghirahim. He was humanoid in appearance, but was covered in dark scales. The man's hair was a raging fire, flickering many shades of red and orange. He turned and looked at the pair before him and gave them a smile that was the most terrible thing Link had ever seen.
"Not going to welcome me back, Ghirahim? What a pity..." His voice was a deep demonic rumble. Demise looked up at Zelda and then at his follower. "So, you would choose this pathetic human girl over serving me? Hylia is...was...my enemy. What was the goddess incarnate to you, Ghirahim? Well, there is no need to answer that... She is as good as dead. What will you do now, Ghirahim? You see, this isn't a request, it's a command. You will return to me."
Ghirahim hesitated. He had once longed for this moment; had even been created for this, but couldn't bring himself to feel even the slightest bit of satisfaction now.
"I'd rather be dead..."
"Join me again, or I will tear what's left of her apart!" Demise bellowed.
Ghirahim came forwards, closing the space between himself and the demon king. "As you wish, Master. I'll do whatever you ask of me, just please spare the girl's body. She has served her purpose. Please...Master."
Demise waved his scaly hand through the air. Zelda's body drifted down gently. Link caught her and carefully laid her on the ground.
The demon lord knelt before his master. Link tried in vain to wake Zelda. He looked up briefly to see Ghirahim peering back at them over his shoulder. He shot Link a pained look. It was a look as penetrating as a blade, and it tore through Link's spirit.
"Now, Ghirahim, return to your vessel and join me in battle." Demise held out his hand towards Ghirahim and he began to levitate in front of the demon king, paralyzed with his arms outstretched.
Ghirahim flinched as his chest began to tear open. Demise's lips curled upwards into a wicked grin. Link's eyes grew wide as he watched. He was glad Zelda wasn't conscious to see this. He could hardly believe what he saw himself. Something was being ripped from Ghirahim's chest. Link squinted. It looked like the hilt of a sword. Ghirahim was screaming now. Blood trickled down the front of the unitard leaving dark red splotches.
"Woe to you Ghirahim, this could have been easier on you if you were in your true form. You may have lost your ability to change into that pure form, but let's see if you are still useful to me." Demise chided his servant. The demon king's laughter echoed against the walls of the pit.
The jagged edges of the blade came out next, bringing forth more blood. After one final piercing scream, the sword went flying through the air and Demise caught it, effortlessly. The blade glowed, ready to accept the spirit of the dark master sword. Ghirahim looked back down at Zelda before he closed his eyes. His body faded into a yellow light interspersed with diamonds and was then sucked into the sword. Demise regarded his weapon proudly.
Demise turned his attention to Link who was still kneeling over Zelda.
"So you are the goddess's chosen hero? Intriguing... You are not what I expected, so I will give you a fair fight. If you wish to face me, I will prepare a place for our battle. If you would raise your sword against the world I would create, then come for me." Demise raised his sword skyward, creating a dark rift before vanishing.
Link cautiously approached the portal, but then he heard something stir in the rubble behind him. He turned and ran towards what was left of the Sealed Temple. Pushing some of the rubble out of the way he was shocked to see the old woman turn her head to look up at him from under her hood. She was crouched in a pocket of the rubble that hadn't completely collapsed. Link pushed the debris out of the way and helped her out.
"What happened to Her Grace?"
Link shook his head sadly. "The demon king has been resurrected. He..he absorbed Zelda's soul and now he wants to fight me."
"Listen Link, if you can defeat the demon king, Zelda's soul may return to her, but you must defeat him before her soul is completely destroyed."
Link felt a weight being lifted from his shoulders; a second chance to make things right.
On the other side of the rift, Link expected a dark battlefield. What he saw was jarringly different. A wide expanse of sky greeted him and he stood in shallow reflective water. It was surprisingly serene, until the demon king turned to face him.
"Ah, I see you've come to meet your end in battle, human. I'm quite impressed by your courage. So unlike your kind...I look forward to this battle. Let's see how long you can last against me. Just remember, when you do fall the world and everything in it will be mine to conquer. And then at last I will be able to claim the power I have sought for millennia. It won't be long now, human. I will take the Triforce for myself and your world shall be under my foot for all eternity!" The clear blue sky became black and the demon king approached Link with an eerily calm demeanor.
Link gripped the master sword so tight, the bones in his hands ached. He charged the demon. Even if he couldn't win, he would fight until his last breath. Link swung at Demise, but the demon king blocked using his sword. Demise sliced through the air nearly hitting Link, who blocked the demon king's attack with his shield. Link didn't want to think about what that sword could do to him. The dark master sword was roughly the same length as Link's body. Link morbidly wondered if he'd be sliced into two.
Link finally managed to slice into the demon king's scaly flesh. Demise roared in pain. Satisfied, Link repeated this pattern, blocking and looking for more opportunities to land successful strikes.
After a few blows, Demise toppled backwards into the shallow water. He rose quickly and raised the dark master sword to the stormy skies. A lightning bolt struck his sword. He came at Link, the blade glowing blue, crackling with electricity.
Link backpedaled away from Demise, getting some distance between them. Demise swung his sword, sending a beam of electricity at Link. Link quickly dodged the attack and raised his own sword skyward, finding that he could do the same. With the blade glowing blue, Link flung the energy towards his enemy. Demise wasn't nearly as quick as Link and was zapped. Link quickly sliced into the demon king with his sword, getting as many strikes as he could manage, until Demise fell once again into the shallow water. Not wasting another second, Link jumped into the air with his sword raised high and delivered a final impaling blow into the demon king's chest. A hush fell over the void. Link hoped it was enough to end the demon king.
The demon king slowly pulled himself to his feet, clutching the wound to his chest, utterly astonished by his loss.
"Useless..." he screamed as he threw the dark master sword across the water. For a few seconds, the demon king was silent, not wanting to acknowledge his defeat.
"...You stand as a paragon of your kind, human. You fight like no man or demon I have ever known. Though you have defeated me, don't think yourself victorious. My hate for your kind shall never perish. Those like you...those who share the blood of the goddess and the spirit of the hero... An incarnation of my hatred shall rise up, dooming them to wander a blood-soaked sea of darkness for all time!" The demon king laughed manically until he vanished into embers. The storm subsided and the sky became blue once again. Puffy white clouds floated overhead. Link could only muster a faint smile. It reminded him of home. He raised the master sword, absorbing the remains of the demon king. The spirit of the master sword, Fi announced the total eradication of the demon king in her calm robotic voice. Link thought it must have been the most beautiful words he'd ever heard from her.
Link closed his eyes. It was over at last. Hylia's mission was finally over. Yes, this was it.
When he opened his eyes again, he was back at the ruins of the Sealed Temple. He looked over to see Zelda. Her chest rose and fell. Tears slid from her closed lids as she slept. The old woman gave Link an apologetic look.
"Her Grace is going to be alright. Don't be alarmed, Link."
Something was shining nearby. Link turned to see what had caught his eye. It was the dark master sword, discarded in the grass nearby. He tried his best to forget it was there, just wanting things to be like they had before all this.
Zelda stirred at last and and opened her eyes. "Link..."
"I'm here, just like I promised." Link gave her a reassuring smile.
Zelda raised her head to see the remains of the Sealed Temple. She brought her hands to her face, wiping her tears and perspiration away with her palms softly. She felt horrible. Worse than horrible. She slid her hands away from her face and wrapped them around herself. Everything hurt, but nothing seemed to be broken.
"But...everything is ok, right? You're all ok?"
"Everything is fine, now. The demon king has been defeated. You should rest." the old woman said.
Zelda climbed to her feet, staggering a bit.
"Where are you going?" Link asked.
"I...I'm going to look for..."
Link fell silent. He couldn't ignore the sword any longer. As Zelda began to walk towards Faron Woods, Link picked up the dark master sword from the ground a few feet away. He was shocked at how light it was, although it was quite cumbersome for him to wield. He carried it to Zelda with one hand on the grip and the other carefully steadying the blade to keep from cutting himself.
"Zelda...did you know...did you know anything about his true form?"
Zelda looked down at the sword. A familiar red diamond caught her eye. She had seen one like it on the belt Ghirahim wore.
"I think you know what this is."
"...What?" A horrible realization flashed in her eyes.
"Demise...he...forced him back in...said he was returning to his 'vessel'."
Zelda's eyes began to burn. Her throat clenched. Her face was already streaked with tears. She felt like if she didn't calm down, her heart might stop beating.
"It's not permanent...right?" Zelda ran her fingers over the red diamond.
"So sorry, Your Grace. These things should have never came to pass. I was far too harsh with you. I never expected such a situation to arise, and I failed to help you through it... He came for you...just after you went through the Gate of Time. He wanted to see you. And then when arrived in the past, I saw him then, too..." The old woman placed a wrinkled hand on Zelda's shoulder trying her best to calm her.
"The past?"
The old woman smiled. "I'm quite surprised you didn't figure it out sooner...I am Impa - and I have been successful in guarding the goddess reborn, although I certainly have my regrets. I hope you will forgive me, Your Grace." The old woman smiled warmly as she faded away before their eyes.
"Thank you, Impa...for everything," Zelda murmured sadly.
The sun began to set behind the trees. Link and Zelda watch in astonishment as the goddess statue fell from Skyloft and settled over the pit. Zelda remained silent, still clutching the dark master sword even as Link went to cover her with the sailcloth and asked her to take shelter with him inside the statue.
